We're back with a brand new website and an important message: VOTE!

We've been very busy the past couple of months totally redesigning the Naturedigger website, creating several new monarch and milkweed slides and catching up on long overdue field work. We hope you like the new look and feel of the site and find it useful. Please check in with us every week for our "milkweed species of the week" posts, which will be starting up again next Friday.

Along with the announcement of our new site, we also want to encourage every one to vote tomorrow in what will be the most important election of our lifetimes. It will affect not only every single one of us humans, but also every plant, every animal and every habitat. The only voice they have is ours, so please exercise your right to vote and make a plan to get to the polls. If you need more information about how or where to vote, visit iwillvote.com and plug in your state and address. This is an excellent resource, so please check it out!!!!

So what exactly are we voting for? There are far too many issues at stake (ranging from species and habitat loss to environmental degradation to human rights violations) to mention in one post, so here are a just few of the issues and/or concerns facing Americans:

• We need species protection - not delisting of species for financial gain

• We need clean air - not increased emissions

• We need clean water - not polluted streams and waterbodies

• We need a climate plan for the present and future - not climate denial and withdrawal from the Paris Accord

• We need to preserve open spaces - not exploit them for financial gain (yes, that one's used twice)

• We need renewable energy advancement - not more fossil fuel use (there is no such thing as clean coal, btw)

• We need affordable healthcare - not coverage only for those who are employed or can afford private coverage

• We need a solid present and future pandemic plan - not denials, inaction and super spreading events

• We need equality for all - not racism, homophobia and hate

• We need inclusion - not division (us versus them)

• We need civility - not hostility, divisiveness and cruelty

• We need honesty - not lies, lies and more lies

• We need integrity - not corruption, narcissism and cover-ups

• We need to support science and our scientists - not conspiracy theories or "gut feelings"

• We need experience in our government - not nepotism, millionaires and sycophants

• We need stable, trustworthy leadership - not promotion of violence and inciting of riots

• We need sanity - not hate speech and racist retweets

• We need facts and reliable sources - not hearsay, imaginary scenarios or guesses

• We need to again feel pride in our country - not nationwide embarrassment

There are many more issues on the table that will affect all of us that aren't covered here. Please do think about your future, the future of our country and the future of our planet before you cast that very important vote tomorrow. And of course, don't forget to social distance and wear your mask.